unedited, of course


HARRY’S P.O.V.

My eyes flutter open, but the light is much too bright, and I quickly shut them again. I can hear beeping of machines, as well as my own breathing. That’s comforting at least.

I open my mouth to speak, but only a few grunts come out. I’m about to begin to panic, but a hand is instantly on mine, and the touch is more familiar than anything.

“Lou?” At least I think that’s how it comes out. Either way, he squeezes my hand gently.

“Hi love,” his voice soft, “How do you feel?”

I relax my eyes, trying once again to open them. This time I succeed, bearing through the splitting pain in my head, which isn’t helped by the lights.

“Okay, I guess,” I try to look at him, but the lights aren’t allowing me to focus on anything, “Can we turn some of the lights off, though?”

He hums and starts to pull away, but someone else interrupts, “I’ll get it, honey.”

Mum?

My heart begins to race, a deep twinge of guilt in my stomach.

“Louis-“ I begin, but he cuts me off, leaning down to capture my lips in the softest kiss I’ve ever experienced.

“I know, H,” he brushes his thumb over my hand, “I know you wanted to tell her in your own time, but-“

“But, what? Was that such a crazy thing for me to ask?” I feel as though I might cry, and it’s only making my head hurt worse. I can’t help it, though. Tears start to run down my cheeks, my head pounding from the pressure.

“Harry, dear,” my mum joins me on the opposite side of Louis, “Louis had to tell me, because the doctor’s were worried that you were losing too much blood. Don’t fret, though, because we just want you to be okay. That’s all that matters right now.”

I understand; I do, but that doesn’t make it easier to live with. My mum is probably thinking that I didn’t want to tell her at all, and that has to be hurtful.

“Harry, I didn’t have an option. You know that I always want to respect your wishes, but when they needed a family member, I knew that you’d prefer your mum to anyone else, yeah?” Louis sounds tired and strained.

The lights are turned low, and I’m finally able to see what’s around me. I’m in a small hospital room, a tiny telly hanging on the wall, two chairs, and a couch circling me. I glance up at Louis, noticing his tired eyes, weighed down with dark circles, and his furrowed brow.

I begin to think of something to respond with when my mum sits down on the edge of my bed, adjusting my blankets, “And don’t worry about me, love. Mummy’s here to take care of you, and I’m not upset with you. I know how hard this has been, and I’m just thankful that you’ve got Louis and that you’re alright. Honest, my feelings aren’t hurt.”

I sigh, glancing over at her, “Thank you, mum. I’m sorry, though. I wanted to wait until I found out how bad it was. I should have just told you. I was just scared; Still am, if I’m honest.”

“You’ve got a right to be, sweetheart,” Louis responds, holding my hand close to his chest, “But, you’ve got high hopes and plenty of support, as well.”

I nod solemnly, suddenly realizing just how exhausted I am. I close my eyes slowly, mumbling under my breath, “I love you both.”

I drift off as Louis starts to ask me something about ice chips.


LOUIS’ P.O.V.


Harry is sound asleep again, and it’s nice to have been able to hear his voice. He’s doing well according to Doctor Zimmer. Thankfully, they were able to salvage most of the lost blood and safely return it to his body without any complications. He’ll just have to stay longer than expected to be monitored.

In the end, though, I’m still glad that Anne is here. We’ve taken turns with short naps, but I can’t sleep much either way.

“Thank you again for calling me, Lou,” she returns from the coffee shop downstairs, handing me a cup of tea, “I’m sure it was a difficult decision to make.”

I shrug, scooting over on the couch to make room for her. We speak in hushed voices, the telly playing softly in the background. It always seems to help Harry sleep.

“It wasn’t really,” I admit, “When they told me that he was in potential danger, I didn’t hesitate to call you. For the record, whether or not the doctor’s had told me to, I would have called you if something went wrong.”

She rests her head on my shoulder as we both glance over at the sleeping man in the hospital bed, “I know, Louis. I trust you with my son; Always have, always will.”

I lean my head against hers comfortably, taking a sip of my tea, which is just how I like it.

“I can’t believe how quickly you boys grew up. It feels like yesterday that you two were begging me to let H live with when he was seventeen. Now you’re getting married, and being responsible, and starting a family of your own. I just-“

Anne tears up, covering her face with one hand. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a tight hug, “He’s going to be alright, yeah? I promise, I won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Oh, honey,” she chuckles, sniffling, “I wish it were that simple. I know that right now, it seems like you’re young and invincible. Sometimes, though, life takes the reigns and we don’t have any control over it.”

We sit in silence for a bit, my trying not to cry is overwhelming, and my eyes burn like hell.

“Louis, you know,” she adds, “It’s so beautiful to see how much you still love each other.”
I whisper softly, “I’ll never stop, Anne. He’s my whole world.”


HARRY’S P.O.V.


When I wake up again, I feel much better, and a lot less disoriented. I sit up, leaning against the pillows that are propped up, and see my mum and Louis fast asleep on the couch, leaning against each other. I grin contently to myself and look around for the telly remote, because the channel that was on earlier is now just playing infomercials.

There is a remote attached to my bed, which controls the bed, the telly, and apparently can call for a nurse. I smack my lips a couple times and decide that I’m in desperate need of something to drink. I press the nurse’s button and what patiently, skipping through channels.

Just after I excitedly land on a station that is play reruns of “Friends”, there is a light knock on the door, and an older petite woman in green scrubs is walking in, cheery smile on her face. She notices my mum and Louis, and remains quiet.

“Good evening, Mr. Styles. You must be quite well-rested by now,” she immediately walks over to the machine that was beeping earlier, writing down some of the numbers on a clipboard, “How are you feeling?”

I shrug, “I feel alright, honestly. I’m quite thirsty, though. Am I allowed to eat yet?”

She giggles, walking over to the sink and washing her hands, “Not solid food yet. We don’t want you getting sick off of the anesthesia now, do we?”

I shake my head, “How much longer until it wears off completely? I’m starting to get hungry.”

“You can have some juice, and I think I’ve got some Italian ice, but no solid food until tomorrow morning, love,” she reaches behind me and straightens out my pillows.

I nod, asking for some water and Italian ice. She leaves the room for about a minute and returns with both, “Here, I’ll help you with the ice; It’s extremely frozen.”

I chuckle at that, “Isn’t ice meant to be particularly frozen?”

“Oh, we have a smart one here, don’t we?” she teases, removing the foil seal and gathering a first bite. It’s cold on my tongue, and feels so refreshing.

“So,” she nods toward my sleeping mother and finance, “This is your family, then?”

I smile fondly as I watch them, “Part of it. You could say that I’ve got quite an extended family. But, that’s my mum and-“

I catch myself, and think twice before continuing. She isn’t allowed to release information about me being here, though, so I think I’m safe. Besides, maybe I’m hoping that she will tell someone. I’m finally able to brag about Louis, and I plan on doing that whenever possible.

“And that’s my fiancé. We’ve been together for almost four years now,” I take the next bite of Italian ice as she grins kindly.

Just saying that out loud, to a complete stranger, feels like some kind of weight off of my chest. It’s as though I can be proud in my own skin, proud of being myself.

“That’s wonderful; quite a long time for a couple your age. That’s really admirable,” she adds.
I stare at Louis’ calm face, “Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do without him, if I’m honest.”

She hands me a cup of water, holding the straw for me, “Well, don’t forget that feeling. Don’t ever let the day-to-do blind you from that single, genuine love. In the scheme of things, your happiness is all that matters. You can lose lots of things, and still be happy; but, without love in your life, everything you do is pointless.”

She has a point there that I don’t thinks she even intended. Being a part of One Direction has been such a blessing, and such an incredible experience, but in the big picture, my life with Louis is really the source of my lifelong happiness.

“Yeah, thank you. I’ll remember that,” I honestly tell her, ”It’s good advice.”

I’m able to eat the rest of my Italian ice on my own while watching the telly, even though I’ve seen this episode a thousand times.

“My name is Carly, love; just press that button again if you need anything at all,” she begins to walk toward the door, only I stop her.

“Wait, really quickly,” she turns around and walks back into the room, “Can you go into that hospital bag and get my phone out?”

She nods, quietly reaching into the plastic bag carrying my things, and retrieving my cell phone. She hands it to me and makes sure I’m all set otherwise before leaving, closing the door behind her.

My phone is off, probably done by Louis to save the battery, so I hold the button down and wait for it to turn on. Once it is, I slide up for the camera and turn the flash on. I sit as far up as I can and snap a quick picture of two of my favorite people cuddled up on the couch together.
Because in the end, these are the things that are worth cherishing.


LOUIS’ P.O.V.

I wake up to a crashing noise. Sitting up abruptly, I take a moment to gather where I am. I’m still on the couch, but Anne is gone. I sit up straight, and look over to find Harry sleeping, only he’s trashing on the bed, crying quietly. The remote is on the floor along with his phone.

“Harry,” I rush to his side, and begin to gently stroke his arm, “Baby, wake up. I’m right here.”

He doesn’t fully wake up yet, instead holding my arms and pulling me closer to him with his eyes still shut. I mutter nonsense as I climb in next to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“Lou, please tell me it’s you,” his hands are shaking as they run along my body, feeling along my hips and thighs.

“It’s me, sweetheart. I’m here; talk to me. Everything is okay,” I assure him, placing kisses against his shoulder and his face. I trail my hand down my own body until I’m gathering his hand in mine, resting them on my leg.

Harry’s breathing is ragged, and he tries, but fails to turn onto his side. He hisses in pain, abandoning his attempt to hug me. He squeezes my hand tightly and closes his eyes tight.
I sit up next to him, speechless and helpless. He opens his eyes and notices my worry.
“I’m okay,” he comforts me, taking in a few deep breaths, “I just had a nightmare and forgot where I was for a bit. I’m okay; the pain isn’t that bad.”

I lean over him, still holding his hand, pulling it close to my heart, “I’m going to get a nurse; I’m sure you can have some more pain meds soon, love. You’re uncomfortable-“

“No,” Harry protests, gasping, “Please, just stay here. With me.”

I shake my head, pulling away slightly, “Harry, I’m not leaving; I just need-“

“No! Louis, just stay here. Right here, please,” Harry pulls me back to the bed weakly, and I can’t exactly deny him of anything right now, which is why it’s so difficult for me to let him remain in pain. We lay in silence for about ten minutes before he begins to explain.

“I’m scared that I’ll fuck up again, Lou,” he simply states.

Confused, I scoot closer to him, my mouth inches from his neck, “What does that have to do with anything?”

Harry gulps, “I don’t want to take anymore meds for now; I get addicted easily. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I sigh, understanding a little better now, “Harry, I can’t watch you suffer in pain because you’re afraid of disappointing me. I’d rather you be comfortable. We have to take each day as it comes, Harry. You can’t control everything,” I think back to what Anne had said, “I can’t control things.”

“Yeah, I know; but, I also can’t ruin the best thing in my life,” Harry adds, skimming his fingers through my hair.

“You won’t, Harry. At this point, I just want you to be okay. That’s it, love,” I peck his cheek, and he turns his head slightly.

“Okay, you can get the nurse, only on one condition,” he smirks, even though I can see the tears pooling in his eyes.

“Anything, babe,” I roll my eyes playfully.

“Kiss me,” he purses his lips dramatically, and I surge forward. His lips are dry and cracked, but there are still no other lips that I’d rather kiss.

“Knock, knock,” Anne enters the room, covering her face teasingly, “Is it safe to look?”

“Yes,” I answer, kissing his lips briefly one last time, “Was just bribing him with kisses is all.”

She grins and holds up two Starbucks bags, and a carrier with three cups, “Cheers! H can eat real food!”

Notes

Hello! SO I will now be updating this story every Friday! :) I have an update schedule now, and I will post the entire thing on my profile. xx please comment!